Suds-lock decreasing means for spinner type clothes washing machines



Aug. 12, 1947. c. ALLINDEMANN 2,425,378

SUBS-LOCK DECREASING MEANS FOR SPINNER TYPE CLOTHES WASHING MACHIUEES Filed April 21, i943 Invenb'bfi: Charles ALiTide man H16 Abtorneg.

Patented Aug. 12-,

-. SPINNER TYPE CLOTHES WASHING MACHINES Charles A. Llndemann, Bridgeport, Conn., as.- signor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 21, 1943, Serial No. 483,883

1 2 Claims. (01. 68-23) 2 p of the outer casing through an inlet conduit l6 and discharge the same through a valve I1 and a nozzle it into the spinner basket. The valve I I l The present invention relates to washing machines of the type in which clothes are washed and centrifugally dried in a spinner basket and, is particularly concerned with an arrangement f r s pplying liquid to the machine to effect the sitioned to direct the pump discharge through a elimination of the friction drag due to soap suds conduit H to a suitable drain. during centrifugal drying. The stream of water discharged from the nozzle The object of my invention is to provide an iml3 falls against an annular flange 20 extending proved construction and arrangement for supinwa d fr m h lower d 01 the pp r in plying liquid to a centrifugal xt a t r type ash- 10 section 3 which causes the stream to fan Out in a ing machine'to eifectthe killing of soapsuds which pr y a ns he Side Walls d beneath the may be in contact with the spinner basket and tom of the spinner basket. At, ly before, which, if not broken, would exert a drag on the the start of centrifugal drying, when the lower spinner basket, and for a consideration of what P t Of e Outer casing y e filled With p- I believe novel and m invention, attention is disuds t a l vel a v the tt m of t e spinner rected to the following description and the basket, the spray is effective in breaking the soapclalms appended thereto. suds in contact with the basket which would In the accompanyin drawing, the single figure otherwise exert a friction drag keeping the basket is a sectional elevation of a washing machine emfrom re chin it centrifu al dryin p Th bodying my invention. overcoming of the friction 1 drag of soapsuds Refen'lng tov the drawing there i sh wn a (known as suds lock) is one .of the problems washing machine having a skirt I supporting an arising during the use of this type of machine outer casing comprising lower and. upper with excessive soap. tions 2 and 3, the lower section resting on a rubh a n of Water S pplied to the machine b 4 t t upper edge of the skirt and fo washing should be sufficient to fill the spining telescoped within the skirt, and the upper I nor basket to overflowing so the maximum casection resting on a, rubber b 5 t th upper pacity of the basket will be used. The control of edge of the lower section and being telescopgd the correct amount of water is effected by a float within the lower se tion, In th upper part of 2! pivoted on a bracket 22 on the bottom wall of the casing is a spinner basket 6 having outwardly the u er asin d p ng with a P ger flaring side walls provided at the region of great- 23 to shut the valve 14 when the liquid level rises est diameter with centrifugal discharge openings to a small value. For reliable control it is necesl which during washing serve as overflow opensaw that the pump 15 run whenever the valve ings defining the liquid level, Through suitable M is opened to supply wash water initially to fill mechanism, contained in a casing 8, a shaft 8 exthe machine for washing and that the capacity tending up through a sleeve l0 sealed to the of the pump be greate than the flow through the bottom wall of the lower casing section is. sevalve so that the float shuts the valve in response lectively oscillated to oscillate an agitator II for to water overflowing the spinner basket when sufwashing or rotated to rotatethe spinner basket flcient water has been supplied for washing. It is 0 for centrifugal drying. 1 also desirable that the pump run during washing Water is supplied to the machine through a so as to maintain the liquid level in the basket. conduit l2 connected to a suitable water supply In the use of the machine, by a. suitable conand having a discharge nomle lit in the upper trol (not shown) the valve II is Opened and the part of the outer casing discharging downward pump I5 is started to pump the water discharged in the space between the spinner basket and the from the nozzle l3 into the spinner basket. After outer casing. The water supply is controlled by the basket is filled to overflowing, the float 2| a valve II which is opened by a suitable means shuts the valve M. The clothes are loaded into (not shown). During the supplying of water to the spinner basket and the agitato .oscillated for the machine (and also during washing), a pump washing. If an excessive amount of soap is used,

I! is operated to draw water from the bottom .50 soapsuds may fill the outer casing to a point is a two-way valve which alternatively may bepoof soapsuds.

.reaches its centrifugal drying speed.

3 above the bottom wall of the spinner basket. Under these conditions the friction drag of the soapsuds is suflicient to keep the spinner basket from reaching its centrifugal drying speed and during soapsuds will be dispersed as soon as the basket In the present construction, at the end of the washing period the valve M is opened for a'short interval before and closed a short time after the start of centrifugal drying and the stream discharged from the nozzle is spattered against the side walls and bottom of the basket by striking the flange 20. The spattered stream breaks the soapsuds in contact with the basket and permits the basket to reach its centrifugal drying speed. It will be noted that the fillingnozzle I3 functionsboth to supply water for washing and to eliminate suds lock during centrifugal drying.

The water discharged from the spinner basket during centrifugal drying may be pumped through receiving clothes to be washed and centrifugally dried, a casing surrounding the basket havin storage space below the basket for liquid contents of the basket, an inwardly extending ledge on the casing adjacent the lower end of the basket, and

nomle means for discharging a stream of fresh water downwardly against the ledge, the arrange- 'ment being such as to produce a spray at the lower end of the basket to decrease suds-lock.

2. In a washing machine, a spinner basket for receiving clothes to be washed and centrifugally dried, a casing surrounding the basket having storage space below the basket for liquid contents of the basket, a liquid supply conduit having a nozzle directing a stream of fresh water downwardly along the wall of the casing, and-a de flector adjacent the bottom of the basket positioned in line with said nozzle, the arrangement the conduit I9 to a drain or it may be stored in the bottom of the outer casing and used to fill the spinner basket to wash another load of clothes. When the water is stored inthe bottom of the. outer casing, the float 2| is in a position to shut the valve It so it is not possible to supply an excess of water-to the machine which might cause the water level in the outer casing during centrifugal drying to rise up to the bottom of the spinner basket and place an excessive load on the driving mechanism.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

I 1. In a washing machine, a, spinner basket for being such that saidstream strikes the deflector and is sprayed inwardly at the lower end. of the basket'to decrease suds-lock.

CHARLES A. LINDEMANN.

. REFERENCES errnn I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Dunham Aug. 31, 1943 

